Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-07-22
FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT.
ELEVEN ITALIAN LAB0RERS TORN TO
PIECES BY A TRAIN,
The Chicago Express on the Erie Road DashsS
Around a Sharp Curve and Into Hundred
Italians Working on the Road.
Many Others Wounded.

New YORK, July 2l.-One of those
frightful accidents, which come with ter
rifying suddenness when there is no appar
ent reason why they could not be easily
avoided, took place this morning on the
Erie Railroad between Allendale and Ho'
hokus.
The catastrophe was attended with an
appalling loss of life, aud over q dozen
mangled bodies on the track attested the
neglect OF some one whose duty it should
have been to give warning Of the fmpend'
ing disaster.
| A gang Of Italian laborsrs were at work
ballasting on the railroad little distance
from a sharp curve about three-fourths OF
a mile above HOhOken. The Chicago ex-
press, which was due an hour before, had
not arrived, and these men were busy at
work unconscious of the terrible fate which
was i'll store for them.
At a quarter past seven o'clock train No.
IL, the delayed express, rushed round the
curve before the men had the slightest
warning and dashed through them, killing
twelve or fifteen on the spot and wouuding
many others.
The shrieks of the victims were heart
rending, and when the train slowed up the
track presented the sickening sight of being
COVERED WITH MANGLED BODIES,
the rails being spattered with blood and
broken limbs, and pieces Of ragged flesh
being scattered in all directions. Some OF
the bodies were mangled beyond description
and crushed out Of all semblance OF human
ity.
There was only fifteen minutes delay
and the train which had wrought so much
disaster proceeded on its way from Allen
dale to Hohokus The question of who is
/ to blame is yet to be settled, but it is
claimed that it was the
DUTY OF THE FOREMAN
of the gang of laborers to watch for ap-
preaching trains at the dangerous cure and
that he must have neglected to give the
warning whistle.
Mr.. w. l.. Hudson, passenger on local
train which was behind the Chicago Ex-
press, in conservation with reporter, de-
Scribed the scene rs one of the most sick
ening that could be witnessed
"Along the track, ," he said "were arms,
legs, trunks and other parts OF bodies, and
tracks for long distance were slippery
with blood The disaster must have
taken place with such appalling sudden
ness that the men did not know till the
train was down OH them. The conductor
OF the train on which | rode said that the
blame. He believed the foreman of the
gang was responsible for the disaster by
neglecting to give warning. None OF the
names ofthe victims could be aScertained. ,
ANOTHER ACCOUNT OF THE DISASTER.
Another account of the terrible accident
| says that about 100 Italians were ut work
on the road when q train came along and
the Italians stepped on TO the other track
to allow it to 90 by, but just then the
Chicago express thundrcd down on them,
at the rate of 80 miles IN hour and literally
moved it way through, Singing the um-
Eortunates right and left, tearing legs, arms
and head of and grinding flesh into the
rOadbed for two or three hundred feet
SO fierce was the shock that, although
the engine struck nothing hut human be-
ingS the powerful cowcatcher was torn,
twisted and broken into pieces.
Some of the Italians were crowded in
against the rocks, q very narrow space and
they crOuChed down in terror.
The engineer Of the express reversed his
engine and was coming TO stop, when the
passengers told him to 90 ahead. Look
ing back they saw the uninjured Italians
acting like maniacs: They were yelling,
gestlculating and tearing their clothes.
Some were kneeling and Others dashing
about in the middle of the ghastly pile of
mangled bodies. When they saw the train
stopping they made rush for it, and had
they reached it undoubtedly the engineer,
fireman aud conductor would have been
murdered For this reason it was deemed
best to come on to Jersey City where the
engineer and conductor were closeted with
the officers of the road and away from
where they could he interviewed. Eleven
were killed.
THE KILLED
were: Giuseppe Torrio, RimaldO, Geneiye,
/ Gallo Pisagrele, Dominica Stampro,
DbuONO L DlblduO,
Michael Tobio, two men named Dominica
Saldonella, and one man whose name is
unEuawn
The railroad men, have different opin-
ions as to who is to blame for the accident
Some censure Connolly, the forman of the
gang. but he was around the curve at the
tool box and was unable to see the train.
His assistant was with the gang and some
regard him as responsible but he explains
that the suddeness ofthe arrival of the trains
put all precautions at naught as there
WAS no time to warn the men and his voice
could not have been heard above the noise
created by the milk train. Moreover, the
Chicago express was not on time, aud he
had no way of knowing its proximity. The
men were probably as much to blame as
anybody. They are insufferably stupid at
times, and have to be pulled ont Of the
way of approaching trains. All the dead
men were married.